How To Make Cold Somen Noodles (Easy Summer Recipe)
How about having a Somen party for today’s lunch? This quick and super easy recipe is perfect for hot summer days!
Somen is made from wheat flour and sold as dried food, making it available year-round but especially enjoyed in summer. What’s great about Somen is that it has a shorter boiling time compared to other noodles.
Somen is commonly enjoyed with flavorful vegetables such as Shiso leaves, Japanese ginger (Myoga), green onion, and grated ginger. The cold Somen noodles pair really well with these vegetables, creating a refreshing taste that spreads in your mouth. This is why Somen is preferable for summer, especially when you don’t feel like eating anything in the heat; Somen is light and easy to eat.
As Somen is a simple ingredient, it can pair well with various other ingredients. In this recipe, we will introduce simple cold Somen noodles with a variety of toppings. It is perfect for lunch and also great for casual summer parties.
Somen is commonly enjoyed by dipping it in Mentsuyu, which is made with Dashi soup stock, soy sauce, and mirin. Mentsuyu is so popular and useful that there are various ready-made versions available at supermarkets in Japan. We have some on our website. If you want to stock up, feel free to check them out.
There are tons of recipes using Somen noodles available on Japanese websites. If you want to expand your Somen recipe repertoire, it should be fun exploring more Somen recipes.
Somen can also be enjoyed in a unique way called “Nagashi Somen,” which translates to “flowing Somen noodles” in English. In this method, Somen flows through cold water over vertically cut bamboo sliders, and you try to catch the noodles with chopsticks as they flow by. There are places in Japan where you can experience Nagashi Somen, and there are even gadgets for enjoying Nagashi Somen at home! These gadgets are great for both kids and adults and will make your Somen experience even more enjoyable.
Have fun gathering around the Somen bowl with your family and friends!
Overview
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Total servings: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 180 g Dried Somen Noodles
- 200 ml Mentsuyu Dipping Sauce (100 ml for each serving. Prepare a bit more if needed.)
- 40 g Cucumber
- 4 Cherry Tomatoes
- 25 g Chikuwa Fish Cake
- 2 Boiled Eggs
- 30 g Sliced Ham
- 20 g Ginger (with peel)
- 4 Shiso Leaves
- 10 g Radish Sprouts
- 10 g Green Onion
- 10 g Japanese Ginger (Myoga)
- White Sesame Seeds, as needed
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